A storage system generally includes a computer (hereinafter referred to as “server”) such as a server computer executing data processing and a storage apparatus communicatively coupled to the server, and can store data processed by the server in the storage apparatus. Data processed by the server can be roughly classified into structured data stored into, for example, a database or the like, and other non-structured data. The non-structured data includes data of various types such as a document, an image, a sound, and the like.
In recent years, a remarkable increase in non-structured data stored in a storage system has brought strong demands for fast and efficient data backup processing of non-structured data. Also, in order to minimize storage resources consumed by backup data, the data backup processing are performed by using a de-duplication function for preventing redundant storage of same data and a data compression function for reducing the storage amount of data.
On the other hand, from the view point of effective utilization of hardware assets and software assets, it is already common practice to build one storage system including servers and storage apparatuses supplied by various vendors. In this case, different de-duplication functions and different data compression functions operate in different apparatuses within one storage system. The de-duplication functions and the data compression functions are implemented by a variety of software. However, it is known that de-duplication algorithms and data compression algorithms used in the variety of software makes the effects of these functions vary depending on the types of non-structured data. In the case of general data backup executed in a storage system, the association relationship between a server or storage apparatus serving as a backup source and a server or a storage apparatus serving as a backup destination of data sent from the server or storage apparatus of the backup source is determined in a fixed manner. In that case, unless modified by an administrator or the like, data to be backed up from a specific backup source to a backup destination is processed, irrespective of the type of data, by a specific de-duplication function and data compression function implemented in any apparatus in a backup processing path. Therefore, even though a specific de-duplication function and data compression function exhibit significant effects on a certain type of data and far less effects on other types of data, different types of data stored in a certain server or storage apparatus are automatically backed up by using the same de-duplication function and data compression function.
In view of such problems as described above, for example, PTL 1 discloses a backup system intended to perform a backup processing of backup target data appropriately for data properties of the backup target data in a method simple to users. The backup system includes a backup source computer which stores backup target data, a plurality of backup destination computers, each of which is coupled to the backup source computer via a network, backup mode selection means for selecting one backup mode from multiple backup modes prepared in advance, according to the data properties of backup target data, and backup execution means for causing the backup source computer to transfer backup target data to a backup destination computer selected from the backup destination computers on the basis of the selected backup mode, and causing the backup destination computer to store the data.
In addition, NPL 1 discloses a configuration in which de-duplication means of Avamar (trademark) is mounted in a backup server, and de-duplication means of Data Domain (trademark) is mounted in a backup storage coupled to the backup server. The backup server de-duplicates non-structured data by using the de-duplication means of Avamar, and de-duplicates structured data by using the de-duplication means of Data Domain.